Immortalized by Leonardo da Vinci in his paintings, the Montalbano area extends between the hills of the provinces of Florence, Pistoia and Prato.

The Renaissance genius was born and lived in Vinci, one of the municipalities included in this area of hills and splendid panoramas, where the presence of man is perfectly integrated and thanks to the cultivation of vines and olive trees he contributed to creating a sort of orderly “countryside-garden”, typical of the Tuscan landscape.

The hills are expanses of vineyards and olive groves, so much so that the territory is crossed by the “Montalbano Wine and Oil Road” which winds along the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. The hills are also the site of villas, villages, castles, Etruscan remains, parish churches and ancient hunting reserves, such as the Barco Reale, one of the first examples of a “natural reserve” created by man, but also of spas, such as Monsummano, frequented since Roman times.

The hills of Montalbano, refuge of many animal species and not too far from Florence, between the 16th and 17th centuries were chosen as a hunting reserve by the Medici family who privatized a large part of the territory by establishing the Barco Reale Mediceo of which portions of the perimeter walls.